BASEBALL: Errors doom College Park in loss to Atascocita

Published 5:17 pm, Friday, April 10, 2015

College Park’s Chandler Morris tries to tag Atascocita’s Stephen Hunter on Friday at College Park High School.

College Park’s Chandler Morris tries to tag Atascocita’s Stephen Hunter on Friday at College Park High School.

Photo: Michael Minasi

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College Park’s Ryan Dufrene sprints for third base after an Atascocita error on Friday at College Park High School.

College Park’s Ryan Dufrene sprints for third base after an Atascocita error on Friday at College Park High School.

Photo: Michael Minasi

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College Park’s Nate Fisbeck throws a ball to first on Friday at College Park High School.

College Park’s Nate Fisbeck throws a ball to first on Friday at College Park High School.

Photo: Michael Minasi

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College Park’s Tyler Mortenson (25) throws a pitch on Friday at College Park High School.

College Park’s Tyler Mortenson (25) throws a pitch on Friday at College Park High School.

Photo: Michael Minasi

BASEBALL: Errors doom College Park in loss to Atascocita

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THE WOODLANDS - On the back of a four-run second inning, Atascocita handed College Park only its second district loss on the road Friday evening, 5-1.

Runs looked as if they’d be in short supply following a quick first inning in which both starting pitchers, Cavalier Tyler Mortenson and Eagle Mitchell Johnson sent the first three opposing batters back to their respective dug outs without a hit.

But in the top of the second inning, Atascocita used a lead-off hit from Alerick Soularie, and a hit batter to start the scoring run. With two runners on, Johnson hit an RBI-single to help his own cause and score Soularie, followed by the first of two Cavalier errors in the inning, allowing the Eagles to load the bases.

A sacrifice fly hit by Kyle Bradford allowed Adam Peterson to score just before an error on a throw to first from the Cavaliers allowed both Matt Willrodt and Chris Petsch to reach home safely, giving Atascocita a 4-0 lead.

“I think offensively it’s a team effort for us,” said Atascocita coach Eric Matthews. “We were rolling ground balls and hitting it hard to give ourselves a chance to get on. We were making them have to make plays in order to get us out.”

College Park allowed almost nothing from that point on to the Eagles, but the damage had been done, as Johnson moved through the Cavalier lineup and gave up just three hits throughout the game.

“You can’t take anything away from Johnson,” said College Park coach Jason Washburn. “He pitched superb, he had us off balance.”

The only scoring opportunity for the Cavaliers came in the bottom of the fifth, when Aaron Perkins safely reached home on a fielding error from the Eagles. The threat was quickly neutralized however as Colin Cameron was picked off after attempting to run to second on the error.

With the loss, the Cavaliers move to 16-2 and 5-1 in District 16-6A, while the Eagles move up to 13-10 and 3-4 in district, putting last year’s state semifinalist in contention for a playoff spot.

“It’s such a tough district that you’ve got to take one game at a time,” said Matthews. “There’s so many talented players and teams, we’ve just got to continue to do what we do and apply pressure.”